Notre Dame Swim Team Caught in Gambling Controversy

The University of Notre Dame has suspended its men's swimming program for a minimum of one year due to a significant gambling controversy involving athletes who reportedly operated what resembled their own sportsbook.

In a statement, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua noted that the investigation revealed "deep-rooted" cultural issues, highlighting "numerous violations of the code of conduct that strictly prohibit gambling on intercollegiate swimming and other athletic events."

Consequently, the entire program has been put on hold for at least one academic year. While the university has faced multiple gambling-related scandals in recent years, this marks the first instance of a whole team being implicated. Officials claim that the coaching staff was unaware of the athletes' actions.

Nevertheless, Sport Illustrated emphasises the gravity of the situation, noting that the team's members effectively set up their own betting operation based on their performance. This year, the team placed 10th at the NCAA Championships and also celebrated its first Olympian, freestyle skier Chris Guiliano, who competed in the Summer Games in Paris.

It remains uncertain whether Guiliano was involved in the gambling issue. He was part of the US team that secured a gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay and a silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Notre Dame operates in Indiana, where sports betting is permitted. However, no licensed operator provides betting options for college swimming, and the legal betting age is 21—some team members fall below this threshold.